Technology and Health Care - Volume 10, issue 5

Authors: Jarm, Tomaž | Serša, Gregor | Miklavčič, Damijan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Two optical methods were used simultaneously to evaluate the effect of a vasoactive drug hydralazine on oxygenation and blood flow in SA-1 tumors in A/J mice. A novel luminescence-based optical sensor (OxyLite instrument, Oxford Optronix, UK) was used to monitor partial pressure of oxygen (pO2 ) in tumors. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to assess relative blood perfusion in tumors. Measurements were performed continuously on anesthetized mice before and after i.v. injection of hydralazine at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg. Hydralazine reduced pO2 on average by 80% minutes after injection. Our results indicate that hydralazine could be used to …improve the antitumor effectiveness of hypoxic cell-specific therapies. We demonstrated that both optical methods can be used successfully to detect changes in blood perfusion and oxygenation in tumors after blood flow-modifying treatments. Some aspects of pO2 measurement with the new luminescence-based method require further investigation. Show more

Keywords: experimental tumors, hydralazine, oxygenation, blood flow, OxyLite luminescence-based fiber-optic sensor, laser Doppler flowmetry

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10501

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 363-380, 2002

Authors: Zhou, Yunyu | Zeng, Yanjun | Lizhen, | Hu, Wenlei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The palm print contains a great deal of information which is of great research and application value. This paper provides palm print research methods, application, and the relationship between the palm print and cancer.

Keywords: dermatoglyphics, personal identification, topology, Atd angle

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10502

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 383-390, 2002

Authors: Chan, Marie | Campo, Eric | Laval, Evelyne | Estève, Daniel

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to introduce a smart tool for the assessment of the mobility of patient with motor disorders and to evaluate its performance through some initial experiments. These experiments are based on a system which is composed of sensors connected to a Personal Computer (PC) using data acquisition cards and a communication network. The PC includes a data acquisition and processing software. This system has been installed in a patient's housing (a bedroom and a washroom) in a long-stay setting. Pre-established travel and activity (going to bed, getting up, visiting the washroom…) patterns of patient in …the housing including their duration have been defined by physicians for the experiments. A volunteer participated in the experiments and the results of his mobility obtained by the data processing software were compared with his real mobility. An agreement was found between the proposed assessment system and the experiments, thereby validating functioning of the whole system. Then, the system has been used to monitor a patient over a period of 39 nights. Again there is a good agreement between the characteristics derived from the system and the findings of the caring staff in charge of the patient's routine night monitoring. Data collected during 24 consecutive hours have been used to identify and characterise the patient's whole day mobility. This study paves the way for a new assessment system of the mobility of patient thus allowing the follow up of patients suffering from dementia and to study their significant mobility changes over time by introducing an indicator of mobility which can be used to assess their motor behavioural disorders. Show more

Keywords: remote monitoring, multisensor, elderly, mobility

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10503

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 391-399, 2002

Authors: Dodd, R.A. | Cornwell, R. | Holm, N.E. | Garbarsch, A | Hollingsbee, D.A.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The method of applying fibrin sealants may affect their physical properties and surgical performance. In this study, the characteristics of a novel fibrin-sealant application system (Vivostat® ) were compared with conventional fibrin sealant spray systems. Delivery rates of Vivostat were highly reproducible in both high and low delivery modes (coefficient of variation [CV] < 1.0%) Airflow rates of Vivostat were 578 ml/min (6.6% (6.5% were lower and less variable than conventional systems, which ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 ml/min depending on the pressure. Spray forces of Vivostat were conseqently lower than other systems and the deposited fibrin films formed were …of more consistent thickness. Unlike other systems, blockages with Vivostat were rare on intermittent use. The Vivostat system offers the surgeon a controlled, precise and efficient means of fibrin sealant application with potential performance advantages over conventional spray application systems. Show more

Keywords: Vivostat®, fibrin sealant, application, spray

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10504

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 401-411, 2002

Authors: Hieu, L.C. | Bohez, E. | Sloten, J. Vander | Oris, P. | Phien, H.N. | Vatcharaporn, E. | Binh, P.H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Although various techniques and materials have been used for making cranioplasty implants, personalized cranioplasty implants are high in cost because of expensive materials and production technology, long design and manufacturing time, and intensive labor use. This research was a part of our research project in ASEAN countries to investigate feasible technical solutions of minimizing the implant cost based on available production technologies in the region. The use of 3-axis CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling techniques for making molds to fabricate PMMA implants was successfully investigated. With the development of a design support program bridging between Computer Aided Design (CAD) and …Medical Image Processing (MIP) system, the time for geometrical modeling of implants and molds was reduced to half a day. The machining time to complete a mold was about 5 to 6 hours; and it took maximal 2 hours to fabricate an implant with self-curing PMMA and 3 and half hours for fabricating an implant with heat-curing PMMA. The cost of implants is acceptable for the ASEAN region. Show more

Keywords: Cranioplasty-implant-CAD/CAM

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10505

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 413-423, 2002

Authors: Cikajlo, Imre | Bajd, Tadej

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In the paper we present the sensory system aimed for FES gait reeducation of incomplete spinal cord injured persons. The proposed system consists of four accelerometers, gyro and two goniometers placed along the shank of the paralyzed leg. The data assessed are input into mathematical algorithms estimating the swing phase quality. The estimation is based on swing phase detection and signal correlation and is used to determine the cognitive feedback signal. The feedback signal is delivered to the patient as an auditory signal. The preliminary measurements were performed in three healthy and two incomplete spinal cord injured persons with …C6 and C6-7 lesion during treadmill walking. FES was manually triggered by a physiotherapist. The results have shown that the proposed multisensory system was successful in gait quality estimation. Therefore, the use of FES multisensory system and cognitive feedback could be an efficient rehabilitative approach in gait reeduction. Show more

Keywords: multisensory system, sensory integration, swing phase, walking, spinal cord injury, gait reeducation, functional electrical stimulation

DOI: 10.3233/THC-2002-10506

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 425-433, 2002